1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to computer system and, particularly, to computer systems for selling goods over a computer network.
2. Related Art
Due to the increasing popularity of the Internet, e-commerce (i.e., the sale goods and services over the Internet) has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Typical systems used to support e-commerce employ websites to attract on-line customers. The around-the-clock accessibility of these websites, in addition to the ability to directly access a large number of products, affords customers of e-commerce websites a more convenient and less time consuming shopping experience.
However, when a customer places an order through a current e-commerce website, the order is directly filled by the owner of the website, which is typically a manufacturer or a distributor of the products sold through the website. This may be undesirable for both manufacturers and distributors of brand-name products, as it creates internal competition between the manufacturer and distributors at various levels in the distribution chain. As a result, manufacturers and mass distributors of a brand product may be prevented from taking advantage of the e-commerce marketplace to avoid undermining existing distribution agreements with downstream distributors and retailers.